Vacuum cleaner



March 24 1931. E. w. vosE VACUUM CLEANER Filed June 10, 1925 2.Sheets-Sheet 1 haw March 24, 1931. E, w, VOSE 1,197,455

VACUUM CLEANER Filed June 10, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 24, 1931. 1

nbwm w. vosn, or woncnsrna, msacnusn'rrs vacuum 011mm Application filed June 10,

This invention relates to vacuum cleaners, and is especially concerned with a vacuum cleaner of the hand type intended for cleaning upholstery, the interior of automobiles, stairs, draperies and the like.

It is the chief object of the invention to devise a cleaner which shall be so small and light in weight that it can be easily supported and used entirely in one hand, and at the same time shall have the necessary suction and air volume to enable it to clean quickly and thoroughly. I am awaretha't cleaners of this type have been proposed heretofore, but the prior machines of which I have been able to learn have not proved successful due largely to the fact that they either have been too heavy for a woman to handle or else because they lacked the suction or air handling capacity necessary to clean effectually. The present invention provides an apparatus which is not open to these objections.

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 7

Referring now-to the drawings,

Figure 1 is aplan view, part1 in cross section, showing a cleaner embo ymg this invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the cleaner shown in'Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is apers ective view showing one method of using t e cleaner;

Fig. 4 is an end view of the nozzle and casing construction of the cleaner shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

front elevation of the fan used Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing the meth-' od of using the cleaner on rugs and the like I and Fig. 7 is a front elevation of a part of anauxiliary handle which may be used with the cleaner. Y

,Referrin first to Figs. 1 and 2, 'theconstruction t ere shown comprises an electric motor 2 which preferably is of a light weight with a central hub and having 1925. Serial No. 36,112. 4

high speed type adapted to run at about 10,000 or 12,000 revolutions per minute. -j

Secured on the shaft 3 of this motor is a fan 4 of novel construction. This fan is of approximately conical form and comprises a hollow body 5 of conical shape provided a series of spiral blades 6 projectin from 1ts outer surface, as best shown in igs. 1 and 5. Both the motor and the fan are enclosed in a casing which comprises a central body portion 7 of a proximately cylindrical form with tapere end sections 8 and 9, respectively at opposite ends ,of said body portion. The or-. ward tapered section 8closely encircles the fan, only a comfortable running clearance being 'rovided between this section and the fan. nozzle 10 is secured to the intake end of the casing section 8. This nozzle turns or bends abruptl away from the intake opening and exten s downwardly, terminating in an open mouth adapted to rest on the car et, rug, or other surface to be cleaned. his abrupt turning or bending of the nozzle provides a substantially direct passage from the fan to the nozzle opening and forms by means of the nozzle a continuation ,of the ta pered section 8, thus permitting the same to exert a direct pull upon the article to be cleaned.

The motor is spaced from the inner wall of thecasing by a series, preferably three, a of plates 12 the inner edges of these plates being bolted or riveted to the motor rame or housin while theirouter edges-are se.-' cured, as by bolts 13, to the body portion 7 of the casing. For convenience in assembling the arts and also in order to permit access to t e interior of the casing, I prefer to make thetapered section 8 removablefrom the body section 7 and for, this purpose the part- ,8 is provided with three pins or lugs 14,

igs. 1 and 4,'which fit into bayonet slots or -oovesv formed in the body section 7.

nother pin 16, Fig. 4, mounted on the end 95 of a spring 17, Fig. 2, which is riveted to the part 7 normally fits in a hole in the section, Sand prevents the relative rotation of the casin sections 7 and 8 which is necessary to re ease the lugs 14 from thebayonet 10 slots. By springing the pin 16 out of its hole,

the casing member 8 may be rotated far epough to free the pins 1 1 from the bayonet s ots.

When the motor 2 is running it revolves the fan 4 at a high speed and the .current of air created by this fan is forced backwardly around the motor 2 and flows through the space between the motor housing and the casing 7, thence through the tapered section 9, and finally through a discharge tube 18 into a bag or dust catcher 19.

The tube 18 is rigidly secured to the casing v section 9, and it performs both the functions of a discharge tube and also of a handle. The rearward end of this tube is enlarged or flanged, as shown at 20, and the mouth of the tapered casing section 8 enables it to exert an unusually positive action on the air, and hence produces a relatively high vacuum and handles a big volume of air. The body 5 of the fan preferably is tapered atan angle of approximately 45, and the-end of the motor housing projects into and is overlapped and closely encircled by this body so that the end of the motor lies within the path of revolution of the blades 6. This arrangement is of advantage in producing a compact construction; preventing the en-.

trance of hair, threads, or the like, into the space around the forward end of the motor shaft; and also reduces the air friction on the motor frame or housing. It should also be noted that the rearward ends of the blades 6-extend backwardly substantially to the rearwardedge of the body 5 and terminate just in front of the bafileplates 12, a running clearance only being provided between the blades 6 and the plates 12. These bafiie plates perform the double function of supporting the motor 2 in its spaced position inside the casing 7, and also of dividing the air space hetween the motor and the easing into a series of air channels that extend longitudinally of the motor and prevent rotation of the air around the motor. If it were not for these plates the effectiveness of the fan would be partially lost in circumferential rotation of the air inside the casing. The bafile plates, however, prevent such rotation, direct the air backwardly and are especially useful in preventing san pins and other heavy materials from circulating within the casing and this shell being of conical form, as clearly shown in the drawings, so that its surfaces are substantially parallel to the inner wall of the rearward section 9 of the casing. The taper of this section, also, like that of the section 8, preferably is not greater than 45 so 1 that a smooth, easy path is provided through the entire casing for the flow of the air, sharp turns in the air stream are avoided and frictional losses are reduced. I prefer to make the motor housing as tight as possible so that it will be dust proof. The motor is effectually cooled by the stream of air which is flowing past it in contact with the motor; hous- It will be observed that this entire construction is of very light weight, the casing and housing members preferably bei-hg of sheet metal construction, and the fan 4 being made either by pressed metal operations and the proper assembly, or by a die casting of light weight. The bag or dust'catcher 19 may be made of a fleeced fabric. of which such bags are commonly made. The electrical conductors 24 leading to the motor 2 are preferably brought into the motor housing through a bushing 25, Fig. 2, a coiled spring guard 26 being secured to the part 9 to protect the conductor.

' While the motor used may be of any suitable type, the motor shown has unique features. It is of the so-called universal type, that is, designed to run on either alternating or direct current. Instead of using the usual cast metal housing I have provided a housing of sheet metal comprising two members 35 and 36, Fig. 1, which are secured together by bolts, one of which is shown at 37. The bolts clamp the two housing sections to the field. The outside housing section 22 telescopes over the parts '35 and 36. The bearings 38 and 39 for the motorshaft are mounted in the respective housing sections 36 and 35. These bearings may be of any suitable type, but, as shown, consist simply of bushings. Since the motor runs at a relatively high speed, it

It is contemplated that in using the cleaner I for most purposes the entire apparatus will be held in and manipulated by the hand, as

a loop 27 which is connected to the bag. This shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 6. A small U-shaped bracket 29 is also riveted to the upper side of this casing section, andthe t wo le s of this bracket ,have holes formed t erethrough, one of which is shown at 30, Fig. 2,

to receive the wire ends31, Figu'i', projecting from a long handle 32. The ends 31 ten to spring apart and they snap into the holes 30 in the bracket 29.- This handle is provided with a'clip 33, Fig. 6 to receive the loop 27 for supportin the bag, and with another clip 34 holds t e cord or electrical conductor 24. When e nipped with this .long handle, as shown in ig. 6, the cleaner may be used as a sweeper in a manner similar to that in which the ordinary commercial types of cleaners are used.

The cleaner provided by this invention, therefore, is capable of an unusually wide variety of use. It has proved in practice to be so light in weight that it can easily be handled by a woman while usin' it inthe manner shown in Fig. 3, and it as a very high suction for a fan type of cleaner as well as an uncommonly-high air handlin capacity. It therefore cleans very quic ly and thoroughly. The design also is such that the cleaner can be manufactured economi-' cally. Obviously the apparatus can be used as a blower by removing the dust catcher or gVhile I have herein shown and described the best embodiment of m invention that I have so far devised, it will e evident that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

, Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

1. A vacuum cleaner having a casing tapering smoothly on op osite sides to reduced and substantially ahgned openings one of which serves as an air inlet and the other asan air outlet with the inner wall of the casing forming an uninterru ted air guiding surface, and a fan and house -in motor formjsag "ing

ing a unitary assembly taperin to conform generally to the inner sha e o 'the casing, the body of-said fan forming one tapering inner wall of the casing to form an air 'pase between-said assembly and said inner as an air outlet the inner wall of thecasing presenting a smooth uninterrupted air guiding-surface between the inlet and outlet, a

fan and housed-in motor forming a unitary assembly within and conforming generally to the tapered shape of the casing, the body of saidfan-forming one tapering wall of the ing on opposite sides to reduced openings one of which serves as an air inlet and the other as an air outlet the inner Wall of the casing presenting a smooth uninterrupted air gui ding surface between theinlet and outlet, a fan and housed-in motor forming a unitary assembly within and conforming generally to assembly, said assembly being spaced from thetapered shape of the casing, the body of said fan forming one tapering wall of the assembly, said assembly being spaced from the-casing wall to form an air passa e between the sald assembly and wall, and afiles at intervals between e said assembly and casing wall to prevent eddying air currents I and serving' also as supports for the said assembly. I

4. A vacuum cleaner having a casing tapering at opposite sides to reduced openings one ofwhich servesjas an air inlet and the other as an air outlet said casing having a smooth uninterrupted inner surface to guide the air,

and a fan and housed-in motor forming a unitary assembly spaced within and conforming generall to the inner shape of the casing,

with the b0 y of the fan forming one tapering wall of said assembly.

5. A vacuum cleaner having a casing tapering at opposite sides to reduced openings one of which serves as an air inlet and the other as an air outlet, and 'a' fan and housed-in motor forming a unitary assembly spaced within and conforming generally to the inner shape of the casing'thereby making an airway betweenithe'unit'ar y assembly an the casing wall-with the fan body forming one ta ering end of said assembly and with the fan lades discharging in the plane of and directly into the aforesaid-airway.

EDWIN. W. V'OSE.

wallof the assembly, said assembly being substantially aligned axially with said inlet and outlet openings and being spaced from \the 

